


Press Start to Begin

by JoMar



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Video Game World, Comedy, F/M, Original Character(s), Romantic Comedy, Sad Ending, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Tragedy/Comedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-13 14:14:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28904676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoMar/pseuds/JoMar
Summary: When you press start, you will be automatically transported to a randomly generated fictional world. Should you choose to not to, you will wake up, and this opportunity will never be presented again.I stare at the hologram message hovering above a small golden button labeled "START", and think 'What the fuck kind of dream is this?'Still, though, I press the button without much thought, curious and impatient. It's just a dream. The message disappears and a selection screen pops up, rapidly switching between pictures before slowing, finally stopping on an all too familiar image.Congratulations!A message appears right in front of my eyes.After a five second countdown, you will transported to the HARRY POTTER world. Enjoy your adventure!~}{~Jessa Keener gets sent to Hogwarts after a strange dream. She finds herself trapped, almost like in a video game, quests and experience and all.Will she survive this disastrous journey, cheesily riddled with love and war, life and death, Tom Riddles and their pale, noseless counterparts?A Fred Weasley fanfiction...Press the title to begin.
Relationships: Fred Weasley/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 5





	1. Main Menu

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter is much shorter than the others; think of it as an intro. Future chapters are going to be a lot longer.

Shit, I think my bones just broke.

The only thing I can do is lie on the ground pathetically, and I can't even speak. I feel like I just landed on concrete from ten stories up.

All around me is white. The floor is shiny marble, and there are no walls or ceiling, just what looks like a space that goes on and on forever. A few feet away is a black pedestal with a golden button, and a blank hologram floating above.

This is definitely a dream. I'm not important enough to be kidnapped for ransom, and the excrutiating pain I felt from everywhere on my body is already gone.

"Hello?" I call, cringing a little. I sound like the dumb main character in a horror movie, but I'm more amazed at how lucid this dream is than how stupid I sound. "Anybody here?"

No response except my own, faint echo.

"This is kind of like that episode of The Good Place," I slowly stand, unsteady, and my legs still ache. "Am I in Heaven?"

**You are dreaming.**

My attention shoots up to the message on the previously-blank hologram. Thank god, a response. "What's the button do?" I ask cautiously.

**Whether you press the button is for you to decide.**

That doesn't really answer my question, but I guess I'll move on anyways. Just as I'm about to ask another question, the word 'START' appears on the button like an engraving.

**Welcome to your adventure.**

I blink. Adventure?

**When you press start, you will be automatically transported to a randomly generated fictional world. Should you choose to not to, you will wake up, and this opportunity will never be presented again.**

How long is this dream? I feel like I probably should have woken up by now. Anyways, randomly generated fictional world? I don't really feel like overthinking, so I go to press the button, but I hesitate, looking up cautiously at the hologram.

"Will the Hunger Games be an option?" I ask. I'll be sorely disappointed if I end up having to fight for my life to entertain a bunch of ignorant rich people.

**Yes. Removing options is not a function that is available to you.**

Damn it. I sigh, but then again, this is a dream. That hologram told me itself. I would say, "What's the worse that could happen?", but it seems like anytime anyone says that, everything goes wrong.

A small part of me wants to wake up when I press the button. But, I'm actually kind of excited to see what's going to happen.

I push the button, and a selection screen appears in front of me, showing me hundreds of pictures. It scrolls between each one quick enough that I can't even process what they are.

Then, it slows.

Slower.

Stops.

A castle, one all too familiar.

 **Congratulations!** The message screen reads. **After a five second countdown, you will be transported to the HARRY POTTER world. Enjoy your adventure!**

"Hold o-"

My head starts aching, and I collapse to my knees. My ears ring, abused with a loud, high-pitch screech that fills every corner of my mind.

My skin's on fire, and I can't breathe. Am I going to die?

Before I pass out, I catch one last glimpse of the message board. **Good luck.** is what it says. There is no face and no voice to the words, but somehow, they seem smug.


	2. Quest 1: Diagon Alley First-Timer

I gasp awake, almost knocking my head against a woman kneeling next to me. Sitting up I press myself against the wall, and there are two pairs of eyes on me, all concerned. However, my attention is drawn to a wand in the man's hand.

"Who are you?" I ask, but my eyebrows shoot up and I cover my mouth in surprise.

"What happened?" The woman with blonde hair says, placing her hand on my shoulder.

"I just don't-" I begin to reply, but my eyes widen again. Oh, my god. 

Why do I have a British accent? Last time I checked, I'm not from Britain. I'm not even from Europe. And, god, where am I?

Then, all of a sudden, it all comes flooding back to me. The button, the hologram, the selection screen. This can't be a dream. It can't be. It's all too real, the cold cobblestone on my back, the feeling of the woman's hand on my shoulder.

"You're probably just feeling ill," the man sighs. He stands and holds his hand out to me, which I take gladly. My knees are weak, and I wobble when I stand. "Floo powder tends to do that to first-timers."

"Floo powder?" I ask, but my voice sounds so different.

"Yes, you fainted right after coming here on the Floo Network. Don't worry," he smiles warmly. "I threw up my first time."

"Thanks, um," I need a second. I look around through the sea of people. Just need to get away, alone, to process. "I think I see my family over there. Thank you for your help."

"No problem, dear." The woman says, but I'm already walking away. I stumble into the nearest alley, a small opening in between two of the shops.

Breathe, I tell myself. It's fine. I'm fine, right?

**Welcome to the tutorial.**

I stare at the hologram in front of my face and reach out to touch it, but expectedly, my hand just goes right through. What is this? A tutorial? I think I've been playing too many video games lately. I don't know why I'm even panicking. I'm the one who pressed the button, and now I'm in the Harry Potter world. 

Dream or not, it feels like real life, so I might as well treat this like real life. Breathe. Take it one step at a time.

**Your life in this fictional universe will be filled by a series of quests which, upon completion, will yield rewards. Some are optional, but others are mandatory.**

Okay, this really is like a video game. I look out into the main street, and nobody seems to notice me. I wonder if they can even see the hologram.

**Experience points can be earned through quests or other actions. Leveling up will also yield rewards.**

An experience bar appears at the bottom of my vision with the words 'LEVEL ONE' next to it. No matter where I look, it stays in the same place, like an HUD. This is crazy.

I was panicked before, but now I can feel the initial shock fading away. Now I'm just confused, and honestly, a little excited.

**A ring has been provided to you, and the menu will appear when the gem is tapped twice. Other game functions will reveal themselves gradually. For now, please commence your first quest!**

In the top left corner of my vision, the words 'Quest 1: Diagon Alley First-Timer' appears. Under it, there's one objective—"Travel to Madam Malkin's and buy your school robes".

**A starting amount of money has been given to you. You will find and store all of your money in your coin pouch.**

My right pocket suddenly gets heavier, and I pull out a small bag. I open it nimbly and stick my hand inside, pulling out a few gold coins.

I wait for more instructions, but there are none. I guess the only thing I can do now is do what the game tells me.

~}{~

It was one objective after another. Go to this store, go to that store, buy these books, that cauldron. Thankfully, I unlocked the inventory feature during my second objective, and in _this_ world, it'll just look like magic.

My "inventory" is a plain, leather satchel. Apparently I can customize it after reaching level 5. I only have two objectives left; get a pet, and get a wand. I head to Ollivander's first.

I'm shaking a little, and I don't know if it's from nerves or from excitement. It's probably worth mentioning that I read the first two Harry Potter books. I didn't particularly like them, but they were decent. I also watched the movies with my sister, but I was half asleep for most of them. I'm just anticipating the Hogwarts Express.

When I walk in, I'm immediately hit with the dreary atmosphere. There's papers everywhere, and the dark windows prevent much light from coming in. Boxes of wands are lying around, and even some stray wands are scattered about the floor.

"Welcome," Ollivander says from the top of a ladder next to the door. I spin around, surprised. "Apologies for the mess, my last customers had quite the...chaotic spirits."

He slides down the ladder and I stumble backwards. "Hello, Mr. Ollivander." I say nervously. He stands a little too close, and I notice how eccentric he looks. Maybe, in another universe, he would've been a mad scientist instead of a wand maker.

"You're quite special, aren't you?" He grins.

"Not particularly." I chuckle timidly. Is it possible to get outed for not belonging here? No, there's no way.

"I think I know the one for you," he points his wand and a box comes flying off the shelf. He hands me a rugged looking wand, like he just broke a branch from a tree and sanded it down a little. "Tough, reckless, unrefined. Try it out!"

I look at him and he nods. Shit, my hands are so sweaty. Nervously, I raise my arm and barely even move my wrist. Half of the boxes on the shelves, perfectly and neatly stored, come crashing down, and I'm filled with embarrassment. God, just kill me now.

"I'm so sorry." I squeak out.

"No worries," Ollivander laughs, but it sounds a little strained. He clears his throat and carefully takes the wand from me, like he's expecting it to explode. "I suppose that's just not the one for you. You and those boys who came in before you are quite similar."

He waves his wand again, and everything starts to float back to its original place.

We try eight more times, and it's a different version of chaos each time. I blow out one of the windows, and then accidentally set his clothes on fire. Somehow I accidentally turned my hair purple—which Ollivander kindly fixed for me—then made bats appear from nowhere.

But I notice that with every wand I try, my experience goes up a little bit more.

"You're quite the difficult one," he rubs his chin. "Are your family wizards? Has this also happened to them?"

"My family..." I repeat. Well, I can't tell him that my family has been in New York for generations, much less that they're in a different dimension. I suppose it'd be less trouble later on to just say that they're normal. "No, they don't use magic. I'm, uh, muggleborn."

"I see," he peers around his shop. "Wait right here for a moment."

He goes behind the counter and pulls out a plain looking black box. "Elm wood, dragon heartstring core, eleven inches. Slightly flexible," He raises his eyebrows. "I find that muggleborns often feel as if they have more to prove, and a higher curiosity for a world unknown. Give it a whirl."

Ollivander hands me the wand, a nice light cream color. As soon as I touch it, I get another message from the game. **Congratulations! You have equipped your first piece of EQUIPMENT. A new section of your inventory has unlocked.**

I take it and a nice, warm feeling spreads from my hand to the rest of my body. When I twirl it, doves appear from the tip of my wand.

"Perfect," I tell him. "Thank you."

"Very good." Ollivander nods, relieved.

When I leave the store, I slip behind the store and tap on my ring. My inventory appears in front of me on a hologram, eight filled slots and twenty empty ones. I tap equipment—well, air-tap. I still can't actually touch it—and see a silhouette of me. I guess clothes don't count as equipment, so the only thing I have right now is my wand and ring.

I tap my ring again and the inventory goes away. Now the only thing left is to buy a pet. I feel like that should be optional, since I'm not really fond of animals, but I wouldn't mind getting an owl.

 **Your age has been adjusted one year(s) down for the purposes of this world. After buying your pet, you will be automatically brought to King's Cross Station because of your lack of residence.** The pop-up says.

Yeah, yeah. I step back out into the main street, but almost immediately get run into. I look up and see a very disheveled-looking redhead boy, who has ash on his face and frizzy hair, like he just blew something up. "So sorry!" He exclaims, laughing. Then, he runs into Ollivander's, loudly closing the door behind him.

Strange. I begin walking again but see across the street...the same guy? Same exact face, hair, and height. This ones a little cleaner, but angrier, and he soaking wet, like he just came out of a pool. "Fred!" He yells, sprinting past me and into Ollivander's.

Fred. Red hair. Loud. Twin.

Oh, my god. I just saw Fred and George Weasley. I kind of feel like I just met a celebrity who I've heard a lot about but aren't really a fan of—not that I don't like them. Again, I've only read two of the books. But, still, it's so strange that those two characters who used to be words on a page were right in front of me.

I guess I've been placed in the same year as the twins? Maybe that means I'll see Harry, Ron, and Hermione around.

They look different than their actors onscreen. Their hair's a little longer than it was in the first movie, they're a little shorter, and their face is different than James and Oliver Phelps. Then again, I guess they're two years younger than how they were in Sorcerer's Stone.

I hope I'll see them on the train. For now, I'll go buy a pet and finish the quest. I step into Eeylops Owl Emporium, and am immediately greeted by a tired looking shopkeeper.

"Morning," she yawns. "Please refrain from touching the birds, some of them bite."

Owls of every size and color are free, flying about in the room which is, by the way, much larger than it looks from the outside. Some small, brown owls are perched at on some wood at the ceiling, and others roam about. There are few owls in cages, but the ones that are seem to be injured. To my surprise, there's a big open window at the back, where a group of owls fly in and out of.

"Is that window meant to be open?" I ask.

"Oh, yes," the shopkeeper replies. "Our owls like that freedom. They always come back home, though."

"Can I buy an owl?"

"Sure," she looks me over. "You're a little young, are your parents here?" Just then, she pauses, eyes wide open. I'm frozen in place as I watch her eyes glitch, pupils disappearing and looking like a screen that's been broken. Then, as if it never happened, she says, "What sort of owl would you like?"

I furrow my eyebrows. "Uh," what the hell was that? Whatever. This is a game, a dream, of weird stuff is bound to happen. "I'm don't know."

It sure is tough trying to rationalize something that doesn't make sense.

"First time owning an owl?"

"I've never even seen one in real life."

The shopkeeper leads me through the store, and I try to get close with some of the birds. I even try to bond with a snowy owl, like Harry's, but we don't exactly click.

Finally, we find an owl that seems to like me. It's an intimidating great-horned owl, who perches on my arm as soon as I hold it out.

"What'll you name him?" The shopkeeper asks, taking the coins I gave her.

I look at my owl, and he looks at me with large, yellow eyes. "I'll name him Marzipan."

"Like the sweet?"

"My favorite chocolate." I rub his head lightly with my finger, and he coos.

**Congratulations on completing your first quest! Rewards: 50 EXP, +1 inventory slot. You will now be teleported to King's Cross. After this point, travel must be done manually.**

<><><><><>

STATISTICS:

67 EXP / 100 [LEVEL 1]  
ATTACK: 1  
DEFENSE: 5  
PROFICIENCY: 1  
INVENTORY: 8/21

**Author's Note:**

> I was never good at exposition, but once the ball is rolling its rolling lmao, please bear with me!


End file.
